Automatic air-brake coupling.



G. T. McMiLLAN.

AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE COUPLING.

APPLICATION HLED AUG. 12. 1914.

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-------------- I 1' W L AZ Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

A HT IT WT IJVVL'M'OBI .KYHIS/YTTOWF G. T. McMlLLAN.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

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WITNESSES? V IJYVZW'TOIZ.

' YfiZ /maZI/M; o2 MW BYE/S .41'1'0109117 THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH (10.. WASHXNGTON. D. c.

GEORGE '1. MCMILLAN, OF-ZBUSHNELL, SOUTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Applicationfiled August 12, 1914. Serial No. 856,387.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. MCMIL- IAN,1a citizen of the United States, residing. at Bushnelhin the county of Brookings and State of South Dakota,have invented a new and useful Automatic Air-Brake Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in air brake couplings, automatic brake setter and two-way valve operating in connection with said coupling.

The object is to provide an automatic coupling. for trains of any description where air-brakes are used for checking the speed or stopping the train; said coupling being so constructed as to allow rapid coupling and uncoupling of cars without endangering the lives of the trainmen. These objects are attained' by the mechanisms illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure lis a side elevation of the lower portion of the end of a box car showing my automatic hose coupler in position, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of valve, and automatic brake setter in position on car to'the left of the parts shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional elevation of two air hose coupling members in coupled position. Fig. 4: is an enlarged section about as on the line it-A in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a portion of car showing positions of valve operating rods extended to nearv the sides of the car. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of valve and valve operating parts shown in full in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line -0 in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of a portion of the right hand side of a car showing a lifter for an automatic air-brake setter. Fig. 9 is a section on line 13-13 (Fig. 1) some parts being omitted to show the position of the bracket 11.

, Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 1 designates the truck wheels, 2 the body, 3 the draw-bar frame and 4: the raw-bar of an ordinary railway car. are the" members of .theair hose coupling suspended longitudinally underthe draw-bar frame of the car in the following manner. A bar Shaving its forward end bent down ward and terminated in a ball and socket joint 7 secured to member 5, is suspended from car 2 at its forward end by a hook 8, spring 9 and ring 10; the rear end being slidably' and loosely suspended abump'er bracket 11 securedat 12. Behind the member 5 1s a rearwardly projected air pipe 13 forming practically a part of the member.

Said pipe 13 is clamped to a suspended frame 1% by means of a clamp 15 and bolts 16, the ends of frame 1 1 being connected with an adjustable collar 17 on bar 6 by lateral tension springs 18. Between the collar 17 and the bracket 11 is another spring 19 on bar 6, and the end of the bar is provided with a safety collar 20 and 'set screw 20*. I

The above described suspending mechanism makes an extremely flexible yet substantial hanger for the air hose couplings, providing suificient flexibility when the train is on a curve or rough track.

The object in suspendingmy airhose coupling underneath the car couplings is to cause a coupling of the air line and draft mechanism simultaneously; the air hose connection containing my improvements being so designed as to readily couple to other cars similarly equipped.

In Fig. 3 all numerals are the same on correspondingv parts of the two coupling members. The member 5 has a forwardly projecting conical portion 21 with shoulder 22 to engage a flat spring 23 secured at 24 to the portion 25 of the opposite member. It also has a forwardly flared guide 21 for said spring 23. In the portion 25 is a pocket 26 with soft packing ring 27, said pocket being of such form asto make a snug, airtight fit for the projection 21 of the opposite coupling member.

When the air coupling members are together the point 21 of each engages the cup shaped end 28 of a valve rod 29 sliding in a guide 30, said rod being connected at 31 with a valve lever 32 fulcrumed at 33 to the valve seat 3 1 held between the member 5' and a reducing nut 35 (see Fig. 3).

The lever 32 is pivotally connected with a valve 36. Each cone has near its end a transverse passage 37 extending from a longitudinal passage 38.

Referring especially to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the above describedv parts, when coupling members are together allow the free passage of air through the airpipes 13, open valves '36 and passages 37 and 38; but when cars are uncoupled the points of cones 21 no longer hold the valves 36 open, the air pressure in pipes 13 closes said valves thus shutting off the escape of air from either car through its air coupling member.

The automatic brake setter connected with my new air hose'coupler is made and operated as follows: Near each end of the car and just to the left of the air hose coupler I fasten a bracket 39 under the frame of the car. The train pipe 40 goes through hole 41 of the bracket 39 and is screwed into the upper member 42 of a valve housing having also a lower member 43, said lower member having outlets 44 and 45 at right angles, outlet 45 connected by hose 46 with hose 13 of the air-coupler and outlet 44 connected by hose 47 which is adapted to be coupled with air couplers of the ordinary types (not shown).

The valve housing contains a valve stem 49 carrying a lower conical valve plug 48 having an upper extension 50 adapted to revolve in a casing 51. Plug portion 48 has a projection 52 fitting into the upper portion 50 to make both turn in unison, and between said parts 48 and 50 is a cushion 53 to keep the plug members in their seats. The tightness of the entire valve can be regulated by shims 54 and screws 55.

The stem 49 carries a bevel gear 56, whose hub rotates in a bracket 59, where it is supported by a collar 57 held by set screws 58;

said bracket being riveted at 60 to bracket 39. The gear 56 meshes with a toothed sector 61 rotating onastud 62 in the lower end of brace 39. The sector 61 has a downward arm 63 the lower end of which is connected with a rod64 extending to the left side of the car and a rod 65 extending to the right side of the car, both rods being guided in brackets 66 (see Fig. 5), the said rods to operate the sector 61 for purposes to be presently described.

' T he valve mechanism works as follows: When two cars are coupled together my a1r brake coupling is automatically coupled into the position shown in Fig. 3. At this time the sector 61 is in the position shown in Fig. 5 and the air from pipe 40 (in Figs. 2 and 6) goes through valve passage 50 into hose 46 and pipe 13 andthrough the automatic air coupling. When rod 64(Fig. 5) is pulled outward (or the rod 65 is pushed) the sector 61 turns the valve so as to shut off the air, and when rod 65 is pulled outward (or rod 64 pushed) the segment turns the opposite way and the valve turns so as to let air into both hoses 46 and 47 (see Fig. 6 for latter position of valve, the lower two arrows showing how the air passes to said two pipes).

It is now readily seen thatthis triple valve and operating mechanism connected through pipe 40 with the type of brake cylinder and auxiliary reservoirs now in use on railway cars, provides all necessary air connections and cut-off of air that is needed in coupling together and uncoupling the air brake system of two or more cars; and, furthermore, it does not necessitate that trainmen must step between the cars at the risk of losing life or limbs.

erated as a safety brake in the following way: The bracket 59 has a downward arm 67 (see Fig. 6) and on said arm is journaled on a pin 68 (see Fig. 2) a toothed sector 69 with an arm 70, said sector being normally out of mesh with bevel gears 56. At the end of each car and underneath the frame I provide a bracket 71 (Figs. 2 and 4) secured with a bolt 72. In said bracket 71 is journaled a horizontal portion of a downwardly extending lever 73 and anormally horizontal bar 74, both held at right angles by set screws 75 in a block 7 6.- When one car is coupled to another the bar 74 projects into the space 77 (see Fig. 8) between the lower arm of an oflset bar 78 and the body of the car carrying said arm and to which the'first car is to be coupled, said ofi'set bar being bolted under the frame (see Fig. 8) in position to receive said bar" 74. hen one car isaccidentally derailed it drops lower down than the car to which it is coupled and their relative positions will be about as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, causing bars 74 and lever 73 by contact with the offset bar v 78 to assume the positions shown in dotted lines'and a rod' 7 8 connecting lower end of lever 73 and the arm 70 of the toothed sector 69 pulls said sector into mesh with the bevel gear 56.

This action causes the air valve to be turned so that the air goes through pipe 46, or through-pipe 47 when connected With old type air hose, the above action automatically.

brake coupling, 7 6 two hollow coupling members adapted to be carried one underneath each adjacent end;

of two meeting cars and with the train pipe of the cars, and to couple automaticallv when the cars come together,

to be connected means yieldingly holdingsaid. members in 7 meeting position so that under strain the 7 adjacent ends of the members may yield in.

any direction, said coupling members havspring arm arranged to engage such shoulder on the other member and hold the members together until they are forced apart by separation of the cars, and staple 7o 7 My air brake coupling can also be oping each an external shoulder and a curved 1 shaped combined guides and guards on each coupling member for said spring arms to enter into.

2. In an automatic air brake coupling, two hollow coupling members adapted to be carried one underneath each adjacent end of two meeting cars and to be connected with the train pipe of the cars, and to couple automatically when the cars come together, means yieldingly holding said members in meeting position so that under strain the adjacent ends of the members may yield in any direction, each of said members having its end provided with a funnel-shaped opening with packing ring therein, and at one side of such opening a cone'adapted to fit in the funnel, such cone having an internal longitudinal air duct opening laterally near the point of the cone, a rearwardly opening valve in the rear end of each coupling member, a lever mounted in the member and operated by the rod, a pushing-rod mounted .in the member and arranged to open said valve when the rod is pushed by the point of the cone.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. MGMILLAN.

lVitnesses:

JOHN W. GATES, THEODORE HoLMEs.

0031c: of this patent my be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Wuhlngton, D. U." 

